Notes for JOHN SHERROD:
John Sherrod first appears in North Carolina census of 1784 living with his mother. In the 1790 federal census he appears as head of the household in North Carolina. That same census shows that he owns 3 slaves.
1790 Northampton Co, NC Federal Census lists: Sherrard, John, 1,1,1,0,3
1 @ Male >16; this would be John
1 @ Male <16; his son Robert
1 @ Female >16; this would be John's wife, Sarah
3 @ Slaves
It appears that his last name transitioned from Sherrard to Sherrod.
Harold Sherrod Whitlock has a copy of John's will. It was probated in 1820.
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Letter from John Sherrod to Ben W. Sherrod:
John Sherrod, my great grandfather, had only two sons, Robert and Irvin. He was a man of considerable wealth. He was married twice. My grandfather, whose name was Robert, was by his first wife and his other son by his second wife was named Irvin.
My great grandfather lived in North Hampton County, NC. My grandfather moved from the county and state above mentioned in 1819, and settled in Lauderdale County, AL. My great grandfather promised my grandfather when he died that all his property should be his, but years after when he died there was a will found giving his entire estate to his younger son, Irvin Sherrod, and to my grand-father $2.50. My grandfather always believed it was not properly construed.
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Robert Sherrod, from whom the Lauderdale and Colbert Sherrods are descended, left Northampton County, North Carolina on October 20, 1819 bound for a new life in Northern Alabama. Robert Sherrod, who began the family in Lauderdale and Colbert counties, left Northampton to get away from a pressing creditor (for $200). The family tradition was that was an "unjust debt." The creditor never brought it to court as long as old John Sherrod, the father, lived. However, the case made the December 1822 term of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Gardiner vs. Executor of Sherrod and revolved on the issue of whether a creditor could collect from the heirs of a defendant who had furnished a horse and wagon for a debtor to leave North Carolina and come to North Alabama (they could not). Robert, the son of John Sherrod, married Elizabeth Lassiter. He is buried in the Old Walston Cemetery, south of Oakland, and she is buried in the Sherrod-Penick Cemetery on Little Bear Creek in Colbert County. This family had the peculiar habit of naming the sons John, Robert, John, Robert, John through the generations. Tracing this line back to Isle of Wight County, we begin with the same John Sherrer who received the land grant in 1688 with John Wakefield. When Robert Sherrod moved from North Carolina, his father, John Sherrod, was considered to be very wealthy for his day and told Robert that he would leave him all of his property. But after his death, a will dated February 26, 1820, turned up willing the sum of only $2.00 to Robert, and all of the rest to his property to Irvin Sherrod, the younger son. There is some suggestion that Robert's father may have actually given him more than this, but listed $2.00 in his will to prevent creditors from trying to extract money from Robert's inheritance. It should be noted that Robert was only about 30 when he left North Carolina; there is a good chance that his father gave him money for the trip to Alabama. Robert Sherrod raised a large family in Lauderdale County. John S. Sherrod, the oldest son, crossed the Tennessee River about 1854 and married Sarah Penick, whose family farm was on Little Bear Creek. She was the daughter of Edward Penick and Polly Jennings Hamblin, who had some from Prince Edward County, Virginia about 1820. Bradshaw gives a great deal of information on the Penicks and Hamblins in his book, "History of Prince Edward County, Virginia." Robert Sherrod was not afraid to stand up for what he thought was right as he and Samuel Bryant in 1826 denounced a fraudulent local company. "Messrs. J.M. Martin and company are men without honor" (included in this public statement were numerous testimonials to the character of Bryant and Sherrod). The 1830 census of Lauderdale County shows Robert Sherrod with six males and six females in his household. Of the latter, two are slaves age 10 to 24. The same census lists the household of Irvin Sherrod with eight males and nine females of whom five are male slaves and five are female slaves. ----------------------- Letter from John Sherrod to Ben W. Sherrod: My grandfather [Robert Sherrod] moved to Lauderdale County, AL leaving North Hampton County, near North Hampton Court House NC in 1819. As before stated, my father was then five years old, whose name was John, and the eldest son of my grandfather. My grandfather had five sons, all of who raised families. Jim Sherrod, my uncle, moved to Newbern Tenn., and has only one living son. Tom Sherrod moved to Texas, had only one son. My youngest uncle had two sons living at Riverton, AL. Mack H. Sherrod lives in Lauderdale County, and has five sons, all living with or near him. My father had three sons.
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Posted to the Sherrod Family Genealogy Forum by Jean Turbeville Millsaps:
I think so. I have no information on Irvine but would love to find out about him. Do you know who his mother was? Was she related to the Whites mentioned in John's will 1820? I suppose you have heard the story in some of Robert's descendants concerning the $ 2.50 left Robert. There was more to the story. They left it out. John's estate was sued for a debt Robert owed and the NC Supreme Ct. discision explains. Joh's family was given their share when they went to AL. Acc/to a family Robert had bought some horses from Gardiner that had cholora and the suit accused John of helping him flee the state to avoid payment. That puts a different light on the story. I would love to hear from you by e mail. I descended from AL Robert through his son Jack Sherrod and Sylva Bell Hays. Jean
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1830, 1840, & 1850 Lauderdale Co, AL Federal Census: Robert appears as a farmer.
1830:
SHERROD, Robert
2 @ White Males under 5 (Thomas & McHenry)
1 @ White Males 5-10 (James)
1 @ White Male 10-15 (William)
1 @ White Male 15-20 (John)
1 @ White Male 30-40 (Robert)
1 @ White Female 5-10 (Levinia)
1 @ White Female 15-20 (Julianne)
1 @ White Female 30-40 (Elizabeth)
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Robert Sherrod raised a large family in Lauderdale County. John S. Sherrod, the oldest son, crossed the Tennessee River about 1854 and married Sarah Penick, whose family farm was on Little Bear Creek. She was the daughter of Edward Penick and Polly Jennings Hamblin, who had come from Prince Edward Co, Virginia about 1820. Bradshaw gives a great deal of information on the Penicks and Hamblins in his book, "History of Prince Edward County, Virginia."
John Sherrod is listed in the Franklin Co (now Colbert) census as a farmer with real property valued at $5000 and personalty valued at $15,290.
Portions of this farm may have been purchased by J. C. Waddell, Sr. Edward and Polly Penick are bured in the Sherrod family cemetery.
